Shuttered window, Tyler brothel

  Shuttered window, Tyler brothel.

  Hard to know where to put this photo.  It was shot as a response to the lighting as I explored an old brick building in downtown Tyler.  It was originally built as a brothel just after the turn of the century.  A friend of mine, born in 1899 remembers being sent to the back door to wake up train crews for the stationmaster.  Downstairs had a kitchen and large rooms with sliding doors.  Up a central staircase was a second story of small rooms.  One end was a larger room with sitting area, the madams quarters, I assume.  It had long since been abandoned and sealed up but the fixtures and wallpaper still showed the elegance past.  It has since been demolished.  I pulled a long piece of the stair bannister out of the wreckage and refinished it for my house in the Azalea District.

  Platinum contact, (5X7) image or silver gelatin print on 20X24 paper.  Edition of 40.  1,200.00.